Zach bit back an oath.
“May I ask why you’re limping, sir?” Officer Morgan asked.
Of course, they’d have to rule him out as a suspect. “I had an accident this morning during a training exercise. I’d just been released from the ER at Balboa Med Center and was on my way home when I hit the dog.”
“Did you get a good look at the man who was running from the dog?” Harrison asked.
Zach shook his head. “He was wearing a stocking over his face, and it distorted his features.”
“But you saw him.”
“Yeah, but it was quick. I was trying to avoid hitting him with the car.” He closed his eyes to picture the man. “He skimmed past the front of my SUV with only inches to spare. He was wearing jeans, a T-shirt with some kind of design on the front, and running shoes. He was Caucasian, maybe five feet ten to six feet, slender build, dark hair and brows, I could see those through the stocking. He was built like a runner, and he scaled the chain link fence quick enough.”
“Did you touch him with your vehicle?
“No, I missed him, but hit the dog instead. Was the man he attacked Navy?”
“Retired,” Morgan answered.
“A SEAL?”
“Yes.”
Zach clenched his teeth to keep from swearing. “What’s his name? I may know him.”
“Master Chief Clifton Flynn.”
Zach shook his head. He didn’t recognize the name, but he’d ask around.
“How’s the dog?” Harrison asked.
“She lost a lot of blood, her hip’s broken, and she may lose her leg. Dr. Bertinelli is doing what she can to save her.”
“That’s a real shame. The guy who owns her has a training course built in the back yard. It looked as though he worked with her a lot.”
Zach gave a brief nod. “She’s a military war dog. Probably retired.”
Harrison’s gaze sharpened. “How do you know that?”
“She has a tattoo inside her ear for identification. I’ve worked with the dogs and their handlers. The dogs love to train. They can sniff out explosives, hunt down the bad guys, and keep them occupied until we get there. After they’ve been through several deployments, the dogs get too stressed to return to combat, and they’re retired. Their handlers adopt them sometimes. The guy who owns her may have been her partner while in the teams.”
“We’ll check into it. So you’re accepting responsibility for her until things with her owner are clarified?”
Zach drew a deep breath. Accepting financial responsibility while she was at the vet was one thing. Taking her after she came home would be different. Maybe Kathleen, his sister, could help out. “I can try it until her owner’s in the clear.”
An idea occurred to him. “She may have gotten a piece of one of them. You may want to check medical facilities for anyone coming in with an animal bite.”
“Too bad she didn’t get the guy she was chasing,” Officer Morgan said.
The three of them lapsed into silent agreement.
Harrison broke it by saying, “I’ll need your contact info in case we have to talk to you again, sir, and I need to see your ID.”
Zach took out his wallet, removed both his license and military ID, and passed them over.
Officer Harrison copied down his information as well as his cell phone number and Kathleen’s. “Thank you, sir. We’ll notify you as to the master chief’s condition.”
“I’d appreciate it.” He watched the two get into their vehicle and pull away. A retired SEAL and his dog were attacked. Why wasn’t NCIS involved?
Zach limped back into the vet’s office to sign the paperwork.
At loose ends after dealing with everything, he drove home. His hip was getting more painful by the minute, and he decided the doctor’s prescription for the anti-inflammatory meds wasn’t for wusses after all. He swung through a pharmacy, got it filled, and bought a bottle of water on the way out. In the car, he cracked the bottle and swallowed one of the pain pills. Maybe by the time he got home the pain would have eased off. He’d put some ice on it after a shower and wait for the vet to call.
Thinking of her call triggered thoughts of Dr. Bertinelli. The name Piper suited her. There had been a moment of connection between them, despite the tension and urgent activity caused by the emergency. He’d seen the color rise in her cheeks when he smiled at her. Once things were taken care of with the dog…
What was he thinking? She wasn’t a party girl. He could read that clear enough from her no-nonsense attitude on the job. And the only women he hooked up with were party girls who didn’t want a commitment. Well, come to think of it, he hadn’t hooked up with anyone in a long time. His dissatisfaction when he wasn’t training or at work screamed you need a woman.
Piper’s big mahogany-brown eyes just…did it for him.
And her petite, perfectly proportioned body.
And her thick, dark brown hair with just a hint of red for spice.
Shit! He needed to forget this. His last emotional entanglement had damn near cost him his career and his life. And rocked his confidence. It took him a long time to come back from it. The helpless, frozen feeling during those moments he and the team waited for Hawk to exit the terrorist’s armory had proven to him he couldn’t get involved and still do his job. He couldn’t afford the distraction. Or the attachment.
Besides, what had all that emotion gotten him last time?
Jilted before he even made it home.
Never again! He needed to keep his distance and stay focused on his team.
He had to put Piper out of his mind.
Once at home, he took the shower he’d promised himself and dressed in sweatpants and a T-shirt. He found a bag of frozen peas left over from when his sister Kathleen stayed with him, and wrapped them in a dishtowel as an ice pack. He settled in the recliner and wedged the peas against the arm of the chair to hold it to his hip. He turned on the television for a distraction, but found himself checking the time every few minutes.
When would they call? Would it be Piper, or one of the receptionists?
What difference did it make? He just wanted to know how the dog was.
Yeah, right. Damnit!
He phoned Hawk, his commanding officer, and gave him a rundown on the man he’d almost hit and the dog he had.
“Come to find out the police were looking for the guy. It had to be more than one. They broke into the home of a retired SEAL, beat him, and left him unconscious in his yard. Master Chief Clifton Flynn. Do you know him?
“No. But I’ll ask around. You do the same. We’ll spread the word that he’s in the hospital. If he got a look at these guys, they might try something more. It wouldn’t hurt if there’s a military presence around to deter them.”
“Hopefully the cops have thought of it already. I’ll be taking the dog in temporarily when the vet discharges her. Just until Flynn is released from the hospital. I figure since I’ll be on sick leave for a few weeks, I’ll have the time.”
“How’s the hip?”
Zach didn’t see any reason to play it down. “It’s purple and hurts like a son of a bitch. I’m icing it right now.” The dog’s hip was much worse. He grimaced.
“Good. After a few days of ice off and on, use heat. Zoe may have some suggestions to help ease the pain. I’ll ask her.”
“I appreciate it.”
“You’re talking about taking care of a sick dog, but have you ever had a dog?” Hawk asked.
“A couple when I was growing up. This one is a retired war dog. And she seemed to respond to me. It may have just been the uniform, but we’ll see.” He found himself getting excited about it. It would certainly beat sitting here alone watching television.
“It might do you some good to have something in your life other than the job and fishing.” Hawk was nothing if not straightforward. “There’s something to say for having someone to come home to every night.”
But at what cost? He’d committed himself to so
meone and became so obsessed with her, or actually the idea of who he thought she was, he’d choked when he was needed the most.
“Zoe keeps me grounded, steady, and helps me maintain a cool head. She’s who I hold on to when things get tough.”
Hawk had been on his case more than once lately about his actions sliding close to reckless during some of their training.
Zach knew where this was going. Time to nip it in the bud.
“I let someone get close once and it fucked me up. I screwed up because of it. I’m not sure I can have someone in my life and still do the job.” Hawk and Zoe knew about it since he broke down in front of them and admitted everything. He’d been a wreck then. He had a long, hard road fighting his way back, and he hadn’t allowed a woman truly close since.
“It’s been years since then, Doc. You’re different now than you were then. And the way I see it, every one of us has that one thing we do that scares the shit out of us. I’ve had to deal with mine, just like you’ve dealt with yours. You saved a man’s life. You kept him going until we got him back to base and medical attention. Brett’s doing fine, he’s moved on. You’re allowing one experience to keep you from doing the same.”
Zach tugged at the long hair falling over his forehead. Why was he talking to Hawk about this now?
Because he’d met a real woman, not a SEAL bunny or a party girl. The instant attraction was strong, and he couldn’t make a move on her because of this issue. How the hell could a guy who spent months at a time either deployed or training have a regular life? What kind of woman would put up with that shit?
Women like Hawk’s Zoe, Brett’s Tess, and Langley’s Trish, that’s who. They were all three strong, independent women. Even though Greenback’s wife Selena had breast cancer two years ago, she was still strutting her stuff, independent, and, thank God, in remission. Despite Greenback’s schedule, they seemed to make it work.
“Everyone deserves to be loved, Doc. It’s human nature to crave love and physical contact. Why not enjoy getting it from someone you can actually care about instead of someone you’re just scratching an itch with?”
Why not? But could he compartmentalize his life the way Hawk did? Hawk had to, otherwise when things got dangerous, he’d freak out… No, he wouldn’t. He never freaked out about anything. He saved Zoe’s life when Derrick Armstrong broke into his house and threatened to kill her, her brother, and Marjorie, Derrick’s girlfriend. He’d held it together because he loved Zoe. Zach had never seen him as focused.
But could Zach do the same?
*
Piper listened to the dog’s deep, drugged respirations and the steady beat of her heart. Had she done the right thing? If it worked, it would be. It was going to take more time for her leg to heal, but she’d still have the use of it, barring the numerous complications that might follow such a complicated surgery.
Hunter Rawls, one of her partners, stuck his head in the door. “I heard you did some fantastic work today.” He wandered into the room.
“I won’t know until she’s awake.” Piper hung her stethoscope around her neck and ran a hand along the dog’s side. “She’s a retired war dog. The police came by a few minutes ago and told me she and her owner do volunteer work with disabled vets. They also pitch in with the police department at large events in the area. Gracie can sniff out explosives.”
“How’s she doing?” Hunter asked. He came to stand across the table from her. He looked as immaculate now as he did when he arrived this morning. Even his brown mid-length hair was still in place.
“So far, so good. She’s still sleeping. I’ve repaired the torn vessel, put in pins to hold the hip together, and a plate in the leg to hold the tibia together.”
“And who’s paying for her treatment?”
“The man who hit her.”
“Good. We can’t take on any more charity cases, Piper.”
She knew where this was going. “I know.”
“What about the kitten you took today?”
“I’m going to create a social media page to advertise for her adoption and medical treatment. We need one for the office anyway. And I have someone to foster the mother cat and her kittens. She came by to pick them up at noon today.”
His brows rose. “Good. The social media page is a good idea.”
Piper focused on Gracie. Now she knew the dog’s name, she thought it suited her. “Do you want to help me move her to a crate? I have everything ready for her, and I’d like to move her before she wakes.”
“Sure.”
She unlocked the wheels on the metal gurney and Hunter guided it through the surgery to the back room where they kept recovering animals. Side opening metal crates were mounted against the walls, larger ones down low and smaller ones above. At the moment, three crates were occupied. A Jack Russell who’d had a run-in with a neighbor’s Maine Coon cat, and two sick cats.
“I’ll stay late tonight, since you and the others covered some of my patients while I did the surgery.”
“That would be a nice gesture.”
Asshole. She detested Hunter’s condescending tone. And she certainly didn’t need him looking over her shoulder. She knew what her duties were, and what her priorities needed to be. She remained silent, not trusting her temper.
Gracie weighed seventy pounds. Piper lifted her hindquarters while Hunter raised her upper body, and they laid her gently in the crate. She made sure the dog’s wrapped leg was positioned comfortably, and checked her respiration one more time before she closed the container and straightened.
“I hope the man who’s paying for her doesn’t stiff you on the bill.”
“He won’t.”
“How do you know?”
“Because he cares about the dog. She’s a military war dog, and he’s military. He left his credit card number with Sherry.” Which didn’t mean she was going to take advantage of him and bill him for anything that wasn’t absolutely necessary. Not that Hunter would condone it, but lately the man had been on all of them. Maybe he was having personal financial problems.
“How did the drug audit go? What did they take?” she asked.
“Painkillers, which wasn’t surprising, but they also took some antibiotics and bandages. Makes you wonder if it isn’t someone running a puppy mill or something worse. I’ve turned it over to our insurance company.”
“Good.”
“I’ve also called a locksmith to add a deadbolt to the back door.” He laid a hand on her arm. “You were very brave this morning, sticking around and calling the police.”
“I was afraid to leave the surgery. Afraid I’d run into them trying to exit the building. He was looking at some of our patient files, too, Hunter. What do you think that was about?”
“I don’t know, but I’d hate to think they were using our files to case someone’s home.”
“I told the police which files I saw on the counter. I hope they follow up with the customers to make sure they’re okay.”
“Let’s hope word doesn’t leak that our office was compromised. It could cost us some business.”
He was right, but it seemed selfish to think about it that way.
She preceded Hunter through the surgery to the office area to pick up her next patient’s file, taking a moment to update Gracie’s chart, and remembered she’d promised to call Ensign O’Connor. Zach. She found the number listed on the file and pulled her cell phone from her pocket. She paused when jittery nerves attacked her stomach.
He was just another customer. Who cared if he had a strong, in-charge vibe? And who cared if during those moments of standing next to each other she’d felt enveloped in his warmth? And she wasn’t going to think about his smile and the kick to her heart rate and libido it gave her. Or when he’d looked directly into her eyes, how she’d felt an immediate arousal.
She didn’t need to get involved with a man who carried a gun. And it didn’t matter what kind of capacity he carried it in. She’d already seen what it was like to lose som
eone to gun violence. Besides, Zach was military and had an even greater chance of losing his life to it. She didn’t want to invest her heart and have it ripped out again.
And those few things about him, his hair mostly, that reminded her of David could trigger flashbacks.
She keyed in the numbers. He answered on the first ring.
Though she felt breathless with nerves, she tried to keep her tone professional. “Hello, Ensign O’Connor. Gracie is doing well. She’s still asleep, but the surgery went well.”
“Good. Gracie?”
“Yes. A police officer called to check on her and told us her name.”
“The police told me her owner was a retired SEAL. Any info about his condition?”
“No, I’m afraid not.”
“I’ll call and ask. How’s Gracie’s leg?”
“It pinked up as soon as I had the blood flow reestablished. I’ll keep a close eye on the circulation issue for a few days. I’ve put in a plate to stabilize the limb, but it’s going to be months until she fully heals. She may also need some physical therapy.”
“And the hip?”
“I had to put in pins. As long as she doesn’t develop an infection or throw a clot, I think she’ll be fine.”
“Fantastic.” He sounded relieved.
“I have to warn you, these treatments aren’t cheap.”
“I didn’t think they would be, Piper.”
His use of her name threw her for a second. She should never have told him her name. “I didn’t want you to be surprised.”
“When can I come see her?”
“I’ll be staying late until she wakes to be sure she’s doing okay. Tomorrow midday would be good. She should have thrown off the anesthesia completely by then.”
“Okay. Is orthopedics your specialty?” he asked.
“Yes. I’m usually the one who does surgery for broken bones if it’s warranted. We get some specialty cases here.”
“I’m glad you were there when I brought her in.”
Pleasure heated her cheeks. “Thank you. I have to go. I have patients waiting.”
Breaking Out (Military Romantic Suspense) (SEAL Team Heartbreakers Book 6) Page 4